Button sewing machine



June 15,1943. G. BURKEY 2,321,990

' BUTTON SEWING MACHINE v I Filed Jan. 22, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 U] INVENTOR.

Z 4WNC GZBuP/(EY BY Wka; y W

A TTORNEYS June 15, 1943. BURKEY 2,321,990

BUTTON SEWING MACHINE Filed Jan. 22, 19.41 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q N F q Q 0 Q a I o N I m I v/ I n INVENTOR.

A TT R/VEYS June 15, 1943. L. G. BURKEY I 2,321,990

' BUTTON SEWING MACHINE Filed Jan. 22, 1941 5 sheets-sheet;

Q INVENTOR. L names/v05 GZBU/PKEY June 15, 1943. LG. BURKEY 2,321,990 I BUTTON SEWING MACHINE Filed (Ian. 22, 1941 5 sheets-sheet 4 INVENTOR. A fiWEE/VC'E G. Bye/(5v ,4 TTOR/VEV June 15, 1943. v BuRK Y 2,321,990

BUTTON SEWING) MACHINE Filed Jan. 22, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 HQ :1? %III:

& Rig U Q I lllll [1-111-101- & "am

I i m Ill Q I A INVENTOR.

Z wezwcz BUR/KEY BY max/HM Patented June 15, 1943 UNiTED STATES FFICE BUTTGN SEWING MACHINE Lawrence G. Burkey, Cresson, Pa., assignor to S.

Liebovitz & Sons, Inc., Myerstown, Pa., a corporation of New York 18 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in sewing machines and has particular reference to a button sewing machine.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved machine of practical construction wherein a transfer mechanism is operable between a button feeding device and the button clamp of the machine to initially adjust a button at said device to a predetermined position relative to the needle of the machine so that when the mechanism is operated to deliver said button to the clamp, each opening or hole in the button will be vertically aligned with said needle to permit its passage therethrough as the sewing operation progresses.

Another object is to control the operation of the button clamp in such manner that when the same is raised to release a stitched button, the upward movement of the clamp will be interrupted, following the release of said button, to permit a transfer mechanism to deliver a succeeding button to the clamp.

A further object resides in the control of the transfer mechanism whereby, as the same is returned to the feeding position, after delivery of a button to the clamp, it will have a movement in successively different planes, the last of which will position a button-carrying element of said mechanism beneath another button at the feeding device.

A still further object is to provide an improved button feeding device of simple and practical construction which will enable buttons to be fed to a delivery position of said device in such manner that when the button is picked up by the transfer mechanism and delivered to the button clamp of the machine, said button will be in proper position for application to the-fabric or garment to which it is to be sewed.

The above and other objects will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a button sewing machine embodying th novel characteristics of the present invention.

Figure 1A is a plan view of a thread guide op erating means by which said guide is adjusted from its normal operating position during the transfer of a button from the feeding device to the button clamp of the machine,

Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, taken from the opposite side of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figured is a section substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6- is an elevation of a button guiding device shown in plan view at the upper portion of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is an elevation of the button feedin mechanism with the casing in section.

Figure 8 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Figure 7, and

Figure 10 is a detail sectional View of a portion of the feeding mechanism taken on the line l0|0 of Figure '7.

Briefly, the invention is shown in its adaption to a standard type of button sewing machine comp-rising the bed plate l5 supporting the overhanging arm lit in which the main shaft l1 operates, among other elements, the needle 19. Also mounted in the arm i6 is the button clampoperating rod 'l8. Above the bed plate there is mounted a button clamp of known construction, indicated by the numeral 20, the general operation of which follows the standard practice in its longitudinally reciprocating and transverse movements relative to the bed plate when stitching a button with four holes, and in its vertical movement when releasing the stitched button. Attached'to the bed plate I5 is a vertically disposed supporting plate 2| the upper portion of which carries a button feedingdevice 22 from which buttons are fed downwardly through a chute 23 to a delivery position, indicated generally at 24. Operating between said delivery position and the button clamp is a transfer mechanism embodying certain of the novel characteristics of the present invention.

The machine illustrated in the accompanying drawings is of the type which automatically stops at the conclusion of a stitching operation and which is again set in motion by the depression and release of a foot treadle 25 (Figure 2). The automatic stopping of the machine and is restarting is under the control of the well-known mechanism, generally indicatedby the numerals 26 and 21 (Figure 1) which is utilized to shift the 4 drive belt 28 back and forth between the drive and idler pulleys 29 and 30 on the main shaft ll of the machine. Since this mechanism does not constitute any part of the present invention, a

, detailed description thereof is deemed unnecessary. Likewise, the horizontal reciprocation and transverse shifting of the button clamp is controlled by a well-known mechanism including the cams 3| and 32 mounted on the shaft 33. The cam 3| is engaged by a roller 34 to longitudinally reciprocate the clamp 20, while a roller 35 engages in the groove 36 of the cam 32 to control, in a well-known manner, the transverse shifting of said clamp through the connection, generally indicated by the numeral 31. It will be understood that one revolution of said cams about the shaft 33 completes a stitching operation and the mechanism 26, 21 then becomes efiective to shift the belt drive 28 to the idler pulley. At the conclusion of this operation, the parts of the machine are in the position as shown in the various figures of the drawings.

A brief description of the conventional button clamp will sufiice for an understanding of its construction and operation in conjunction with the transfer mechanism. Said clamp comprises an arm 38 having one end mounted upon a movable block 39 and extending horizontally therefrom in the direction of the needle l9. Pivoted to the undersurface of the arm 38 are the cooperating clamping jaws 40 which extend diagonally downward from said arm and have disposed therebetween the stop member 4! against which a butten 42, held between said jaws, abuts when in proper position for a stitching operation. The slotted spread plate 43 is slidably carried by the inner end of the stop member 4| and the slots of said plate are engaged by the pins 44 depending from the jaws 4D. The inner end of the stop 4! is attached to a slide 45 which moves in a longitudinal slot 46 in the arm 38. This slide 45 is connected, by coil spring 41, to a pin 48 at the forward end of the arm 38 and said spring is effective to normally retain the clamping jaws 40 in operative position and to restore said jaws to such position after the slide 45 has been moved rearwardly to spread the jaws through the instrumentality of the spread plate 43. In order to retract the slide 45 to spread the jaws, there is pivotally mounted on the arm 38 the opening bell-crank lever 49 which, when depressed as will presently appear, moves the slide against the tension of the spring 41 to open the jaws. A leaf spring 59 bears against the upper surface of the arm 38 to maintain the clamp in its horizontal position during the stitching operation and to restore said clamp to said position after the clamp has been raised to release a stitched button therefrom and receives another button to be stitched from the transfer mechanism.

At the conclusion of a stitching operation, the operator of the machine depresses the treadle 25 and may immediately release the same. This depression of the treadle initiates the operation of transferring a button from the delivery position 24 to the jaws 44 of the clamp and the restoration of the treadle under the influence of the spring 5| automatically starts the stitching operation upon the transferred button. When the treadle 25 is depressed a link 52 connected thereto, and to the arm 53, pulls downwardly upon said arm to rotate the shaft 54 in a clock-wise direction, as viewed in Figure 2. This shaft carries the main cam 55 which is provided in its periphery with a recess 55 in which is disposed one end of a rocker arm 51 pivotally mounted upon the ppo i g plate 2|. The other end of said arm is joined by a link 58 to a rocking lever 59 pivoted at 60 upon the top of the arm IS of the machine. An extension 6! of said lever connects the same to the control mechanism 26, 2'! whereby this mechanism is set by the depression of the treadle so that the next stitching operation will be initiated when the lever 59 is restored to its normal position by the release and consequent elevation of the treadle 25. The rotation of the main cam 55 causes the wall of the recess 56 to elevate the end of the arm 5'! engaged therein and thus produces a rocking of the lever 59. Before said arm is entirely disengaged from the recess 56, it engages in a notch 62 formed in the wall of said recess, and this engagement produces a momentary interruption in the rocking of the arm 5?, and consequently of the lever 59. This momentary interruption is utilized for the purpose of engaging a button being transferred with the jaws 48 of the button clamp 29, as will be later described in more detail. When the lever 59 is rocked about its pivot, the end thereof remote from the link 58, and which is engaged with the upper end of the operating rod l8, becomes effective to lift said rod and this raising of the rod accomplishes the lifting of the button clamp during which upward movement the jaws 40 are first spread to release the button which has just been sewed, and then immediately closed so as to receive another button from the transfer mechanism. The lifting of the clamp 20 by the rod is is effected through a block 63 on the lower end of said rod engaging the bent upper end of the pin 48 at the forward end of the arm 38. At the beginning of the upward movement of the clamp. the opening lever 49 thereof contacts the lower end of a pivoted spring-pressed latch 64 carried by the lever 65 pivoted on the stub shaft 66 supported by the plate 2|. The engagement of the lever 49 with the latch 64 depresses the engaged end of said lever so as to rock the same about its pivot and thus retract the slide 45 of the button clamp to spread the jaws 43 thereof and thus release the sewed button 42 held between said jaws. During this action, the rotation of the cam shaft 54 (see Figure l) is utilized to rock the lever 65 about its pivot through the medium of a, link 67 connecting sa d lever with an arm 68 on said shaft. This operation of the lever 65 moves the latch 64 out of engagement with the lever 49 whereupon the spring 47 becomes effective to restore the jaws 4B of the button clamp to their button-receiving and button-retaining position preparatory to the delivery of a button thereto by the transfer mechanism. While a button is thus being released, the rotation of the cam shaft 54 is also utilized to control the shifting of the thread guide 69 (Figure 1A) to a posit on where it will not interfere with the delivery of a button from the transfer mechanism to the clamp. To this end, a link 70 is connected to the arm 68 on the shaft 54 and also to another arm 'H on the shaft 72 journaled in the supporting plate 2!. Thus, the rotation of the shaft 54 in a counter clock-wise direction, as viewed in gure 1, results in a rotation of the shaft 12 in a clock-wise direction, The latter shaft carries an arm 73 connected to one end of a link 14, the other end of which is joined to an arm i5 pivoted on the undersurface of the block 53 and earrying the thread guide 69, so that as the arm 13 is turned with the shaft [2, a pull will be exerted upon the arm F5 to swing the same about its pivot and thus move the thread guide out of the way of the transfer mechanism as a button is delivered to the clamp 20.

In addition to the function just described. the

shaft 52 is also utilized to control the operation of a button guiding device shown at the upper portion of Figure 3 and in Figure 6. This device is employed for the primary purpose of securing a proper and predetermined spacing between the various buttons being sewed onto a fabric. Said device comprises a base plate I6 supported a distance from the needle I9. One end of said base plate is formed with aguide 11 by bending said plate as shown in Figure 6. An adjacent por-- tion of the plate is also bent as at 18 and then turned under to form another guide 19 opposed to the guide 11. and forming a tapered opening therebetween for the reception of a sewed button 80 on the fabric SI. A slide stop arm 82 has one end normally straddling the opening between the guides so that the button 80 will engage said arm and thus limit the movement of the fabric by the operator in the direction of the arrows in Figure 3. By so doing, a predetermined distance between the button 80 and the next button to be sewed to the fabric will be established. The arm 82 is slidable in brackets 83 secured to the base plate and one of said brackets has adjustably attached thereto a fabric guide 84 against which an edgecf the fabric 8! engages as it is moved along by the operator. An actuating member for the stop arm 02, in the form of an elongated plate 85, is adjustable along said arm and has one end 86 upturned to provide an abutment utilized in the momentary retraction of the arm 82 from its operative position at the guides 11, 79. To so retract said arm, the rotation of the shaft "I2, previously described, is employed. To this end, a disk 81 on said shaft carries a pivoted springpressed lever 88 one end of which engagesa stop pin 00 on said disk while the other end is disposed so as to engage the abutment 86 when the disk 8? is rotated. The engagement of said lever with said abutment will retract the stop arm from its position in the path of the button 80 and, at this moment of retraction, the operator moves the fabric along in the direction of the arrow in Figure 3 so as to pass the. button 80 from between the'guides TI, '19. The operator then continues to move said fabric, as described, until the button which has just been sewed, such as the button 32. enters the opening between said guides and contacts the stop arm 82 which has been restored to its operative position under the influence of the spring 80 after the lever 88 has cleared the abutment 8%. Upon the return movement of the shaft l2 and disk 81, at the time the treadle is released and the main cam 55 is restored to normal, the lever 83 will be permitted to swing about its pivot and ride over the abutment 85, being restored to its normal position against the pin 89 by the spring 9| engaged with said lever.

Before proceeding further with the description of the various functions of the main cam 55, the construction of the transfer mechanism will be set forth. For this purpose reference is had particularly to Figure 4. This mechanism is shown as comprising a horizontally disposed housing 92 in the nature of a swinging arm from one end of which there projects upwardly a sleeve 91:3 constituting an axial portion about which the housing oscillates. An operating shaft 9:! extends through the sleeve 93 and upwardly thereabove and carries at its lower end a gear 95. This gear drives two idler gears 96 and 91 the latter of which meshes with still another gear 98, all said gears being journalled within the housing. Directly above the gear 98 the housing is provided with an opening 90 in which is engaged a buttonthe cams 3| and 32.

carrying element I00 in the form of a disk. This element has extending upwardly therefrom two pins IOI, which are adapted to engage in opposed openings or holes in a button I02 located at the delivery position 24 of the button feeding device. At said position, the button is held between two pivoted jaws I03 (Figures 3 and 5) which are connected by a spring I04 to yieldably hold said jaws closed about the button, said jaws spreading when the transfer mechanism extracts the button I02 from between the same. Secured to the sleeve 93 intermediate its ends is a collar I05 provided with an extension I06 to which is connected, by the ball joint I01, an operating rod. I08 utilized. to swing the housing 92 back and forth between the delivery position 24 and the button clamp 20, as will later be described in more detail. Interposed between a stationary abutment I09 surrounding the sleeve 93 and the undersurface of the collar I05, is an expansible coil spring H0 whichexerts an upward pressure upon the collar, and consequently upon the sleeve 93 and the housing 92. At a certain stage of the operation of the transfer mechanism, that is when the housing is returning from the button clamp to the delivery position to pick up another button at said position, the housing 92 is depressed so that it will swing in two different horizontal planes during said movement. This depression of the housing is accomplished through the intermediary of a rocking lever III (see also Figure 2) pivoted at II2 to the vertical supporting plate 2I and engaged with the periphery of the cam 55, a stop II3 contacting said lever to maintain it in proper engagement with said cam. The control of the lever I I I by which the housing 92 is depressed will be presently described.

7 The purpose of lowering the housing 92 during the latter portion of its swinging movement toward the delivery position 24 is to locate the button-carrying element I00 beneath the button at said position so that the pins IOI will initially engage the undersurface of said button before they enter two opposed holes of said button, unless it so happens that when said element I00 is positioned beneath the buttons the pins thereof will directlyalign with said holes, in which instance 'the pins will immediately engage therein. It is at this time of the engagement of the pins with the undersurface of the button at the delivery position that the shaft 94 is rotated to also rotate the element I00. The amount of this rotation is predetermined and constant and is sufficient to enable the pins IOI to align with two of the holes in the button at some stage during the rotation of the button-carrying element. Due to this definite rotation, the element I00 will turn the engaged button, after the pins are in the holes, to a predetermined position relative to the needle I9 of the machine so that when said button is delivered to the clamp 20 its position will be such that the holes in the button will successively be vertically aligned with the needle I9 as the sewing operation progresses under the control of During the interval that the element I00 is located beneath the button. the spring I I 0 acts to exert an upward pull upon the housing'92 which will assure contact of the pins IOI with the undersurface of the button I02, and as soon as the pins I 0| are registered with holes 'in said buttons, said spring I I0 will act to impart a further slight upward movement to the housing 92 so that said pins will enter the holes of the button after which the latter will be rotated to its predetermined position. The,

rotation of the shaft 94 is accomplished through the medium of a bevelled gear II4 secured to the shaft above the sleeve 93 and meshed with another bevelled gear II5 carried upon one end of the shaft II 6 journalled in a bearing on the supporting plate 2|. The opposite end of the shaft IIB carries a small bevelled gear II! which engages a larger bevelled gear I I8 loose on the shaft 33. Also loose on said shaft is a ratchet II9 engaged by a pawl I which is fixed to said shaft. Said shaft 33 is geared to the main shaft H of the machine in a conventional manner so that when said main shaft is driven through one complete revolution of the'cams 3|, 32, the pawl I20 will drive the ratchet H0 and gear I I8 which are fixed to each other. The reduction between the gears H3 and II? is such that the shaft 94 will cause the button-carrying element I00 to rotate something less than a complete revolution but sufficient to cause the pins IOI to register with the holes in the button. When the machine is first put into operation by introducing a supply of buttons into the delivery chute 23 of the feeding device, the transfer mechanism is located at the delivery position 24. It may be necessary at this time for the operator to manually depress the housing 92 so that the pins IOI of the button carrying element will be located beneath the first button which is fed to the delivery position. This depression of the housing, against the tension of the spring I I0 may be accomplished by simply grasping the housing and pressing it downwardly. It may be also necessary, at this time, to manually rotate the button-carrying element I00 so that the pins IOI will register and enter the holes in y,

the button at the delivery position after the downward pressure upon the housing, just mentioned, is relieved. The means of rotation is accomplished through a hand wheel I2I the shaft of which extends through a bracket I22 and carries a bevelled gear I23 that meshes with the gear lid. By turning the wheel. I2I in the proper direction, the shaft 94 will be rotated to secure the desired result of engaging the pins ml in the holes of the button at the delivery position. When the shaft 94 is thus rotated, the shaft H6 is also turned by reason of its connection to the gear I I0. However, this rotation of the shaft I I0 merely turns the gear H8 and ratchet H9 freely about the shaft 33. shaft will ride over the teeth of the ratchet Il9 as the latter is turned and said pawl will come to rest in engagement with one of said teeth after the pins IiII have been engaged in the holes of the button.

Returning now to the operation of the main cam 55, it will be recalled that the end of the arm 5? engaged with said cam had moved to a position wherein it was momentarily resting in the notch 62 of the cam. Just prior to this, a small cam I24, adjustably secured to the periphery of the cam 55, actuates a spring-pressed lever I25 which carries at its upper end a dog I26. The dog is moved to the left, as viewed in Figure 2, by the actuation of said lever and engages one end of a slide bar I'll movable in a bearing I20 upon the plate 2!. The other end of said bar is joined to the adjacent end of'the operating rod I08 which is connected to the. collar I05 fixed on the sleeve 93' of the transfer mechanism. By forcing said rod I00 to the left, the sleeve 93, will be turned about the shaft 94 and consequently the housing 92 will start its movement in a horizontal plane from the delivery position 24 toward the button clamp 29, thus withdrawing the button The pawl I20 fixed on said i Iii) I02 from said position and carrying the same toward said clamp. During this swinging movement, the momentary interruption in the upward movement of the clamp 20 takes place, due to the notch 62 in the cam 55, and at the instant of interruption the button I02 is inserted between the jaws 40 of the clamp, which jaws have been previously closed as a result of the disengagement of the latch 04 from the opening lever 49 of the clamp and the consequent restoration of the jaws under the influence of the spring 41. With the button now deposited between the jaws, a further rotation of the cam removes the end of the arm 51 from the notch 62 and thereby further elevates the clamp 20. This movement of the clamp lifts the delivered button from the pins IEH of the button-carrying element so as to free said button from said element, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 5. The instant that said button is so freed, a pin I29 carried by an adjustable plate I30 on the cam 55 contacts and lifts the dog I20 out of engagement from the bar I21. Immediately, the spring I3I connecting the hearing I28 with the extension I06 of the collar I05 becomes effective to turn said collar, and consequently the sleeve 93, in the opposite direction from that described so as to start the return movement of the housing 92 and its buttoncarrying element I00 toward the delivery position 24. At a point during this return movement a cam I 32 adjustably secured to the periphery of the main cam 55 engages the adjacent end of the rocking lever II I to raise said end and lower its opposite end which is in engagement with the collar I05 (Figure 4) This action forces the housing 92 downwardly to a lower plane, as previously referred to, so that the pins I M of the button-carrying element I00 will be positioned beneath the next succeeding button at the delivery position 24 and out of contact therewith when the housing has completed its return swinging movement. In order to insure the correct positioning of the button-carrying element beneath the button at the conclusion of the return movement of the transfer mechanism, a stop I33 (Figure 2) extends from the collar I05 and abuts against the supporting plate 2| when said mechanism has reached said position.

These operations having now taken place during the clock-wise movement of the cam 55 under the influence of the depression of the treadle 25, and the treadle having been released so that it will restore under the influence of the spring 5I, the cam 55 will now start its return movement in a counterclockwise direction. The cam I32 will first disengage from the end of the lever III, permitting said lever to restore to the position of Figure 2 and thus relieve the downward pressure upon the collar I05. The spring IIO will thereupon force the housing 92 upwardly until the pins IOI engage the undersurface of the button at the delivery position. At the same time, the end of the lever 51 engaged with the cam 55 will enter the recess 56 and, under the influence of a well-known spring (not shown) in the overhanging arm IG, the raised operating rod I8 will be lowered. This movement starts the restoration of the lever 59 to the position of Figure 1 and through the connection BI of said lever of the mechanism 26, 27, the drive belt 20 is shifted to the pulley 29 and the main shaft I1 is started to perform another stitching operation. The starting of this operation does not occur, however, until the operating rod I8 has been fully lowered and the clamp 28 has been restored to its operative position shown in Figure 1. Also at the start of the return movement of the cam 55, the pin I29 is withdrawn from engagement with the dog I25 permitting it to restore to its operative position, and the cam I24 is disengaged from the lever I25 so that the latter will also restore.

The action of the spring I3I, in returning the transfer mechanism also forces the rod I08 and bar I2'I back to the position'of Figure 2 preparatory to the next reciprocation thereof by the dog I25 when the cam 55 is again operated. The restoration of the cam 55, and consequent reverse rotation of the shaft 54 imparts the necessary turning movement to the shaft I2 to swing the thread guide 59 back to its operative position, and the rotation of said shaft I2 also turns the disk 81 back to the position of Figure 6. At the conclusion of the return movement of the cam 55, the levers 5i and 59 will again assume the position of Figure 2 and the main shaft I? will again be automatically operated by the control mechanism 25, 27 to perform another sewing operation upon the button which has just been deposited in the jaws of the clamp 25, thus completing a cycle of operation.

The feeding device illustrated in Figures 7 to 10, which is employed to feed buttons from the hopper 22 downwardly through the chute 23 to the delivery position 24, will now be described in detail. Said device comprises a rotatable drum I34 fixed upon a shaft I35 extending through the hopper, and said shaft is driven at a slow speed from a separate source of power such as an electric motor (not shown) through the medium of a pulley I36 loosely mounted on said shaft and operated by the drive belt I31, a clutch mechanism, generally indicated by the numeral I38, being utilized to drive the shaft from said pulley. The hopper 22 is formed therein at one side thereof with a recess or compartment I39 in which the drum I34 revolves and the remaining space within said hopper constitutes a button chamber I45 into which buttons are deposited through the open upper end of said hopper. Said recess I39 is formed within the hopper by an enlargement I4I which extends (see Figure '7) from the point I42 adjacent the chute 23 downwardly around the wall of the hopper and upwardly to the point I43 and the space between said'two points exposes the periphery of the drum I34 as it is rotated, and it is in this space that the buttons from the bottom of the chamber I40 are fed onto the periphery of the drum preparatory to being discharged into the chute 23. In order to convey the buttons from the bottom of the hopper upwardly towards said space the side of the drum adjacent the chamber I40 has secured thereto a plurality of conveyor elements I44 in the form of diagonally disposed plates each of which will pick up one or more buttons as the drum is rotated and convey the same upwardly towards the point I43. At this point, the portion MI is provided with inclined surfaces, as indicated at I45, upon which the buttons will be discharged from each conveyor I44 due to the inclination of the latter. The surfaces I45 tend to center the buttons upon the surface of the drum so that each button will come to rest thereon adjacent one of a plurality of button receiving recesses I46 formed in the periphery of the drum. Each recess I45 has its bottom conforming substantially in shape to that of the normal upper surface of the button so that if the button, when deposited upon the drum, is in an upside down position, it will become seated in one of the recesses, as illustrated in Figure '1. Should, however, a button be right side up on the drum, it will not enter a recess andwill be ejected from the surface of the drum, as will later appear, before reaching the chute 23. In other Words, only those buttons which become seated in a recess in an upside down position, will be fed from the hopper into the chute so that when the button reaches the delivery position 24, it will be in the right side up position to be transferred to the button clamp of the machine. To aid in guiding a button into one of the recesses as it is deposited upon the drum, the latter carries on its periphery between adjacent recesses small follower lugs I41 which engage a button as the drum rotates. After a button has been seated in a recess and travels towards the delivery chute 23, it is retained in its recess by passing under small leaf springs I48 secured to an adjacent side wall of the hopper 22. The periphery of the drum has formed therein an annular groove I49 which extends centrally through the bottom of the recesses I45 and at the upper entrance end of the chute 23 there is disposed a finger I50 which engages in said groove and beneath a button in one of the recesses I46 so that as the latter is about to be discharged into said chute, said finger will lift the button from its recess so as to facilitate its discharge into said chute. In order to deflect those buttons from the drum which are not in proper position and seated in a recess, there is provided adjacent the entrance to the chute a diagonally disposed deflector plate or bafile I5I arranged in the path of movement of the buttons on the drum and having its lower edge spaced sufficiently from the periphery of the drum to permit those buttons within recesses I45 to pass beneath the deflector or baille and thus enter the chute to be fed downwardly therethrough by gravity. However, those buttons which have not assumed an inverted position and become seated in the recesses I46 will strike against the .baflie I5I and thus be deflected thereby back into the button chamber I40. After a button has passed beneath the bafile I5I, it comes in contact with a guide plate I52 (see Figure 10) and the buttons are conveyed diagonally from this point to the entrance of the chute 23. This guide plate I52, by causing the buttons to move in a diagonal direction, provides a means for preventing an excessive number of buttons from entering the chute 23. In other words, should the chute 23 become completely filled, as indicated in Figure 10, the last button I53 to enter into the channel formed by the guide plate I52 will form an abutment for the next succeeding button I54 which is carried beneath the .bafile I5I and the latter button striking against the button I53 in an offcenter position relativethereto will be deflected from the drum and will fall down into the chamber I40.

As previously stated, the drum I34 is continuously driven from the pulley I36 by a clutch mechanism I38. lThiis mechanism comprises (see Figure 2) a ratchet I55 fixed upon the shaft I35, and further includes an arm I55 secured to the pulley I35. Pivoted to the outer end of said arm I55 is a pawl I51 having its free end connected to the other extremity of the arm I56 by acoi'l spring'I58 which is of sufficient tensionto normally maintain a pin I59 on the pawl I5I in engagement with the ratchet between two of the teeth thereof so that as the pawl is driven by the rotation of the pulley, it will rotate the ratchet and thus revolve the drum I34. However, should a button become temporarily lodged beneath the baffle plate II, it becomes necessary to dislodge said button so that the drum can continue to rotate and feed other buttons to the chute. Should such a contingency arise, the pulley I36 continues to drive the pawl I51, but the pin I59 will now ride over the teeth of the ratchet I55 and, in so doing, each time said pin is snapped into a recess between two adjacent teeth of the ratchet by the action of the coil spring I58, sufiicient vibration will be imparted to the drum I34 to dislodge the jammed button which will then either pass beneath the baffle I5I or be deflected back into the button chamber.

What is claimed is:

1. In a button sewing machine, the combination with a button clamp having horizontally reciprocating movements while a button is being stitched and a vertical movement during which said button is released after the stitching operation, means operable during said vertical movement to actuate said clamp to release said button therefrom and a feeding device having means forming a button delivery position; of a transfer mechanism movable between said position and clamp to deliver a second button to the latter at an intermediate stage of its vertical movement and after the first button has been released. l 3.13M

2. In a button sewing machine, the combination with a button clamp having horizontally reciprocating movements while a button is being stitched and a vertical movement during which said button is released after the stitching operation, means operable during said vertical movement to actuate said clamp to release said button therefrom and a feeding device having means forming a button delivery position; of a transfer mechanism movable between said position and clamp to deliver a second button to the latter at an intermediate stage of its vertical movement and after the first button has been released, said transfer mechanism including a rotary button-carrying element, and means operable, while said mechanism is at said position and before movement of said transfer mechanism toward said clamp, to engage said element with said second button so as to rotate the latter to a predetermined position relative to the needle of the machine.

3. In a button sewing machine, a button clamp,

a feeding device having means forming a button delivery position, an oscillatory transfer mechanism including a button carrier movable in different planes from said clamp to said position during oscillation of said mechanism to locate said carrier beneath a button at said position, means to alter the plane of movement of said carrier at an intermediate point in its travel between said clamp and said position, means thereupon operable to engage said carrier with said button, means to rotate said carrier and button so that the latter will assume a predetermined position relative to the needle of the machine, and means to move said transfer mechanism from said position to said clamp to deliver said button to the latter subsequent to a stitching operation upon a previous button.

4. In a button sewing machine, the combination with a button clamp having horizontally reciprocating movements while a button is being stitched and a vertical movement during which said button is released after the stitching operation, means operable during said vertical movement to actuate said clamp to release said button therefrom and a feeding device having means forming a button delivery position; of an oscillatory transfer mechanism including a button carrier movable in different planes from said clamp to said position to locate said carrier beneath and in engagement with a button at said position, means to alter the plane of movement of said carrier at an intermediate point in its travel between said clamp and said position, means to rotate said carrier and button to cause the latter to assume a predetermined position relative to the needle of the machine, and means to move said transfer mechanism from said delivery position to said clamp to engage said button with said clamp at an intermediate stage of the vertical movement of the latter WhlCll is subsequent t its release of the first named button.

5. In a button sewing machine, the combination with a button clamp having horizontally reciprocating movements while a button is being stitched and a vertical movement during which said button is released after the stitching operation, means operable during said vertical movement to actuate said clamp to release said button therefrom and a feeding device having means forming a button delivery position; of a transfer mechanism movable between said position and clamp to deliver a second button to the latter while the same is being moved vertically and after the first button has been released, said mechanism including a rotary button-carrying element having pins for insertion int holes of said second button, means to rotate said element, and engage said pins in said holes when said mechanism is at said delivery position and before its movement therefrom, and means to control the rotation of said element so that the button rotated thereby will assume a pre determined position relative to the needle of said machine.

6. In a button sewing machine, a button clamp, a feeding device having means forming a button delivery position, an oscillatory transfer mechanism movable between said position and clamp and including a housing having an axial portion about which the housing swings, at button-carrying element rotatable in said housing and having means to engage and rotate a button at said position, means to lower said housing during its movement toward said position so as to locate said button-carrying element beneath the button at said position preparatory to engagement of said rotating means therewith, means including gearing in said housing and a shaft extending through said axial portion to rotate said button-carrying element, and means to control the rotation thereof in such manner that said button will be caused to assume a predetermined position relative to the needle of the machine prior to transfer of the button to said clamp.

'7. In a button sewing machine, the combination with a button clamp having horizontally reciprocating movements while a button is being stitched and a vertical movement during which said button is released after the stitching operation, means operable during said vertical movement to actuate said clamp to release said button therefrom and a feeding device having means forming a button delivery position; of a transfer mechanism movable between said position and clamp to deliver a second button to the latter while the same is being moved vertically and after the first button has been released, said mechanism including an oscillatory housing, a rotatable button-carrying element in said housing and having means to engage and rotate said second button while at said position, means to rotate said button-carrying element, and means to control the rotation thereof in such manner that said button will be caused to assume a predetermined position relative to the needle of the machine prior to transfer of the button to said clamp.

8. In a button sewing machine, the combination with a button clamp having horizontally reciprocating movements while a button is being stitched and a vertical movement during which said button is released after the stitching operation, and a feeding device having means forming a button delivery position; of a transfer mechanism movable between said position and clamp to deliver a second button to the latter while the same is being moved vertically and after the first button has been released, said mechanism including an oscillatory housing, a rotatable buttoncarrying element in said housing and having means to engage and rotate said second button while at said position, means to lower said housing during its movement toward said position so I as to locate said button-carrying element beneath the button at said position preparatory to engagement of said rotating means therewith, means to rotate said button-carrying element, and means to control the rotation thereof in such manner that said button will be caused to assume a predetermined position relative to the needle of the machine prior to transfer of the button to said clamp.

9. In a button sewing machine, a button clamp, a feeding device having means forming a button delivery position, an oscillatory transfer mechanism movable between said position and clamp and including a housing having an axial portion about which the housing swings, a button-carrying element rotatable in said housing and having means to engage and rotate a button at said position, a rotatable shaft extending through said axial portion of the housing, gearing connecting said shaft with said button-carrying element to rotate the same when said shaft is rotated, and means to control the rotation of said shaft so that said button will assume a predetermined po sition relative to the needle of the machine when rotation of said carrying element is stopped.

10. In a button sewing machine, the combination with a button clamp having horizontally reciprocating movements while a button is being stitched and a vertical movement during which said button is released after the stitching operation, means operable during said vertical movement to actuate said clamp to release said button therefrom and a feeding device having means forming a button delivery position; of a transfer mechanism movable between said position and clamp to deliver a second button to the latter while the same is being moved vertically and after the first button has been released, said mechanism including an oscillatory housing having an axial portion, a rotatable button-carrying element in said housing provided with means to rotate said second button while at said delivery position, means to lower said housing prior to reaching said position so as to locate said rotatable element beneath said second button Preparatory to its engagement therewith, a rotatable shaft extending through said axial portion, gearing connecting said shaft with said rotatable element, and means to control the rotation of said shaft and button-carrying element so that the button engaged by the latter will be turned and stopped at a predetermined position relative to the needle of the machine.

11. In a button sewing machine, the combination with a button clamp having a movement away from the bed plate of the machine which movement is interrupted at an intermediate stage thereof, means to so move said clamp, means to release a sewed button from said clamp before said interruption in its movement, and a feeding device having means forming a button delivery position; of a transfer mechanism movable between said position and clamp, and means to operate said transfer mechanism to deliver a button to said clamp subsequent to the release of the sewed button therefrom and at the moment of interruption in said movement of said clamp.

12. In a button sewing machine, the combination with a button clam having a movement away from the bed plate of the machine which movement is interrupted at an intermediate stage thereof, means to so move said clamp, means to release a sewed button from said clamp before said interruption in its movement, and a feeding device having means forming a button delivery position; of a transfer mechanism movable between said position and clamp, means to operate said transfer mechanism to deliver a button to said clamp subsequent to the release of the sewed button therefrom and at the moment of interruption in said movement of said clamp, said transfer mechanism including a rotary buttoncarrying element, and means operable while said mechanism is at said delivery position to engage said element with the button thereat so as to rotate the latter to a predetermined position relative to the needle of the machine.

13. In a button sewing machine, the combination with a button clamp having a movement away from the bed plate of the machine which movement is interrupted at an intermediate stage thereof, means to so move said clamp, means to release a sewed button from said clamp before said interruption in its movement, and a feeding device having means forming a button delivery position; of a transfer mechanism including a button carrier movable back and forth between said delivery position and clamp and having movements in different planes when approaching said position so as to locate said carrier beneath and in engagement with a button at said position, means to rotate said carrier and button to turn the latter to a predetermined position relative to the needle of the machine, and means to operate said transfer mechanism to deliver said button to said clamp subsequent to the release of the sewed button therefrom and at the moment of interruption in the movement of said clamp.

14. In a button sewing machine, the combination with a button clamp having a movement away from the bed plate of the machine which movement is interrupted at an intermediate stage thereof, means to so move said clamp, means to release a sewed button from said clamp before said interruption in its movement, and a feeding device having means forming a button delivery position; of a transfer mechanism including a button carrier movable back and forth between said delivery position and clamp and having movements in different planes when approaching said position so as to locate said carrier beneath and in engagement with a button at said position, means to rotate said carrier and button to turn the latter to a predetermined position relative to the needle of the machine, means to operate said transfer mechanism to deliver said button to said clamp subsequent to the release of the sewed button therefrom and at the moment of interruption in the movement of said clamp, and means to thereupon continue the movement of said clamp to release said button from said carmen 15. In a button sewing machine, the combination with a button clamp having a movement away from the bed plate of the machine which movement is interrupted at an intermediate stage thereof, means to so move said clamp, means to release a sewed button from said clamp before said interruption in its movement, and a feeding device having means forming a button delivery position; of a transfer mechanism movable between said position and clamp and including a housing, a button-carrying element rotatable in said housing and having means to engage and rotate a button at said position, means to rotate said button-carrying element, means to control such rotation so that said button will assume a predetermined position relative to the needle of the machine, and means to thereupon move said carrying element from said position to said clamp to engage said button with the latter subsequent to the release of the sewed button therefrom and at the moment of the interruption in the movement thereof.

16. In a button sewing machine, the combination with a button clamp having a movement away from the bed plate of the machine which movement is interrupted at an intermediate stage thereof, means to so move said clamp, means to release a sewed button from said clamp before said interruption in its movement, and a feeding device having means forming a button delivery poition; of a transfer mechanism movable between said position and clamp and including a housing,

a button-carrying element rotatable in said housing and having means to engage and rotate a button at said position, means to rotate said buttoncarrying element, means to control such rotation 50 that said button will assume a predetermined position relative to the needle of the machine, means to thereupon move said carrying element from said position to said clamp to engage said button with the latter subsequent to the release of the sewed button therefrom and at the moment of the interruption in the movement thereof, and means to return said carrier to said delivery position through a movement in different planes so as to locate the carrier beneath another button at said delivery position.

17. A transfer mechanism for a button sewing machine movable between a feeding device and the button clamp of said machine, said mechanism comprising a housing having an axial portion, a rotatable button-carrying element in said housing having means to engage and rotate a button at said feeding device, a rotatable shaft extending through said axial portion, gearing connecting said shaft with said carrying element, means to rotate said shaft so as to locate said button at a predetermined position relative to the needle of the machine, and means to thereupon move said housing and element to deliver the button carried by the latter to said button clamp.

18. In a button sewing machine, the combination with a button clamp, means to feed buttons to said clamp, a control element for said means, a button guiding device spaced from said clamp and having guides for receiving therebetween a sewed button from said clamp at the termination of a sewing operation, a stop member associated with said guides to retain the sewed button in a predetermined position, and means actuated by said control element to retract said stop member to a position to release said button from between said guides.

LAWRENCE G. BURKEY. 

